I expect that is because some religions like Christianity and Islam have deprecated usury so that left a gap in the market, so to speak.
Well, it obviously did.
Couple that with the fact that Jewish people weren't allowed to own land or become part of most guilds and weren't allowed to be part of the military or work in government or work in publishing and were blocked from so many ways to earn a living.
Owning land was the key means to building wealth at the time. (Much like today). Rental income, raising herds of animals, farming, etc... were all the most significant ways for families to earn money.
Since Jewish people were prevented from owning land (by Christians and Muslims), and were banned from so many ways to earn a living, they had to turn to other means to support their families.
An obvious opportunity would be lending money, since the Christians and Muslims at the time decided they themselves weren't allowed to do so.
So, et voila, you have an industry that's just ideal for Jewish people.
I've never understood the outrage people have about this. It's like they think the entire Jewish population should have just sat down and given up and just let their families all starve to death. (I'm quite sure at least a few people here would have been absolutely thrilled if that had happened. 😕)
People aren't at all concerned about why banking was one of the very few industries Jewish people had available to them to support their families.
And yeah, people don't like being charged interest rates on borrowing money. So...either live within your means and don't borrow money (this is what I do, personally), or find one of your brothers or sisters in Christ (or Allah) to lend you money without charging interest rates.
Which, unsurprisingly, very rarely ever happened. Guess they just weren't as good Christians or Muslims they should have been. 🤷♀️
So, instead of being angry at themselves (for living above their means and wanting to borrow money) or at their neighbors (for not lending them money with no interest charged) or at their religious leaders (for putting this ridiculous rule on them where they aren't allowed to charge interest rates and which was later repealed anyway🤷♀️🤦♀️), they just turned all that anger on Jewish people who really didn't have many other opportunities to provide for their families, because of the laws the Christians and Muslims were coming up with. 🤷♀️
All that should really make people think through all the unintended consequences that their actions could bring about. It should also make people think twice about who they should really be angry with when they have situations similar to these come up.
The Pursuit Of Factual Detail Is The Religion Of Perfection
One of the many contributions that Napoleon has made to improve the quality of life of the people, and perhaps one of his most important and lasting one, was his Civil Code. He felt a personal responsibility for its realization.
This at a time in history when discrimination was rampant. It was then that Napoleon decided to liberate and offer, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity to Jews, Protestants and Free Masons. He also opened the churches that were closed for years.
Civil Code
Napoleon was the first leader in Europe to grant liberty, equality and fraternity to all religions. In this lithograph of the period, Napoleon is granting liberty to the Jews.
The Civil Code of 1804 was to grant religious freedom to all of them. At that time, there were about 480,000 Calvinists and 200,000 Lutherans living in France.
In 1804, Napoleon arranged for the public regulation of the Protestant communities and then decided that the State would assume the responsibility for the salaries of their pastors.
How Did Napoleon's Involvement With The Jews Come About?
Napoleon Bonaparte had not met any Jews in his youth, and perhaps not even during his school years in France. His first contact with the organized Jewish community probably took place on the 9th of February 1797 in Italy during the Italian campaign.
When Napoleon and his army entered Ancona, the Jewish community was living in a small ghetto. Napoleon, at that time, remarked that certain people were walking around with yellow bonnets and a yellow arm band with the "Star of David" on it. He asked one of his officers, what was the purpose of the yellow bonnet and the arm band. The officer replied that these were Jews who had to be identified in order that they return to the ghetto every evening. Napoleon immediately ordered that the arm bands and the yellow bonnets be removed and replaced them with the tricolor rosette. He closed the ghettos and gave instructions that the Jews could live wherever they wanted and they could practice their religion openly. The Jews of Ancona were overjoyed when they discovered that the first French soldiers who entered the ghetto were Jewish!
Later, Napoleon also closed the "Jewish Ghetto" in Rome. He liberated also the Jews of Venice, Verona and Padua.
The "liberator of Italy" abolished the Laws of the Inquisition, and the Jews felt free at last. (See: Appendix 1)
Why Did Napoleon Do This?
Did He Have A Motive?
And yet, here is another incident of interest. On the 12th of June 1798 when the French occupied Malta, Napoleon learnt that the Templar Knights did not allow the Jews to practice their religion in a synagogue. The Knights enslaved their Jewish prisoners and mercilessly used them or sold them. He immediately gave permission to the Jews to build a synagogue.
Again I Ask - Why Did Napoleon Do This?
What Could Be Napoleon's Motive?
Now here is an amazing incident which is not generally known.
When the French troops were in Palestine, and besieging the city of Acre, Napoleon had already prepared a Proclamation (See: Appendix 2) making Palestine an independent Jewish state.
He felt confident that he could occupy Acre and the following days he would enter Jerusalem and from Jerusalem he would issue his proclamation. He was unable to realize this project because of the intervention of the British.
This proclamation was printed and dated the 20th of April 1799, but his unsuccessful attempt to capture Acre prevented it from being issued. The Jews had to wait more than 150 years before their state was proclaimed.
The proclamation, however did bear fruit. It was a precursor to Zionism, heightening awareness of the cause of Jewish statehood. The ideas Napoleon expressed found the admiration of many who saw Napoleon's gestures as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, which foretells of the restoration of the Jews to their land. The idea drew many adherents, especially in England.
One hundred and eighteen years later, the British would issue the "Balfour" declaration which called for a Jewish homeland and ultimately - 31 years later in 1948 - Israel would be recognized as a sovereign state by popular vote in the United Nations General Assembly. Perhaps it can be said that Napoleon's premature announcement on that first day of Passover in 1799 played an important role in the creation of the state of Israel.
In the Paris Moniteur Universel, on 3 Prairial of the year VII (22 may 1799). It was announced: "Bonaparte has published a proclamation in which he invites all the Jews of Asia and Africa to gather under his flag in order to re-establish the ancient Jerusalem. He has already given arms to a great number, and their battalions threaten Aleppo."
On the 16th of August, 1800, Napoleon declared: "If I governed a nation of Jews, I should reestablish the Temple of Solomon."
Appendix 2
Letter to the Jewish Nation from the French Commander-in-Chief Buonaparte
(translated from the Original, 1799)
General Headquarters, Jerusalem 1st Floreal, April 20th, 1799,
in the year of 7 of the French Republic
BUONAPARTE, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMIES OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC
IN AFRICA AND ASIA, TO THE RIGHTFUL HEIRS OF PALESTINE.
Israelites, unique nation, whom, in thousands of years, lust of conquest and tyranny have been able to be deprived of their ancestral lands, but not of name and national existence!
Attentive and impartial observers of the destinies of nations, even though not endowed with the gifts of seers like Isaiah and Joel, have long since also felt what these, with beautiful and uplifting faith, have foretold when they saw the approaching destruction of their kingdom and fatherland: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35,10)
Arise then, with gladness, ye exiled! A war unexampled In the annals of history, waged in self-defense by a nation whose hereditary lands were regarded by its enemies as plunder to be divided, arbitrarily and at their convenience, by a stroke of the pen of Cabinets, avenges its own shame and the shame of the remotest nations, long forgotten under the yoke of slavery, and also, the almost two-thousand-year-old ignominy put upon you; and, while time and circumstances would seem to be least favourable to a restatement of your claims or even to their expression ,and indeed to be compelling their complet abandonment, it offers to you at this very time, and contrary to all expectations, Israel's patrimony!
The young army with which Providence has sent me hither, let by justice and accompanied by victory, has made Jerusalem my headquarters and will, within a few days, transfer them to Damascus, a proximity which is no longer terrifying to David's city.
Rightful heirs of Palestine!
The great nation which does not trade in men and countries as did those which sold your ancestors unto all people (Joel,4,6) herewith calls on you not indeed to conquer your patrimony; nay, only to take over that which has been conquered and, with that nation's warranty and support, to remain master of it to maintain it against all comers.
Arise! Show that the former overwhelming might of your oppressors has but repressed the courage of the descendants of those heroes who alliance of brothers would have done honour even to Sparta and Rome (Maccabees 12, 15) but that the two thousand years of treatment as slaves have not succeeded in stifling it.
Hasten!, Now is the moment, which may not return for thousands of years, to claim the restoration of civic rights among the population of the universe which had been shamefully withheld from you for thousands of years, your political existence as a nation among the nations, and the unlimited natural right to worship Jehovah in accordance with your faith, publicly and most probably forever (Joel 4,20).
Would modernity have even happened without them? probably not if we are being fair.
And the thing about interest is, it's known, it's agreed, it's often fixed. You can borrow $2000 and buy a car, and keep rolling over the loan, or choosing a long payback period, and end up paying $10,000 to the bank. But that is your choice.
Or you can buy a van for $2000, and work hard and payback the loan in a year, and payback $2100 to the bank, and go on to build a business that makes you a millionaire. The bank, the lender, just wants their 5% they do not want 5% of your business, just of that loan. They do not some knocking after you’ve made $10M looking for half a million because without you they would be nothing (a friend who loans for no fee might very well do this)
Usurious conduct is when you lend a widow $1000 because you know she owns a farm with 900 acres she cannot operate. And you tell her, don’t worry about payback, I will add the payments you cannot make to the loan, but the loan is now risky so the rate will have to rise to 20% And then three years later the widow owes you the entire farm. Or you charge 300% interest etc. Regulated banking is nothing like this, but in the middle ages it was.
Well, it obviously did.
Couple that with the fact that Jewish people weren't allowed to own land or become part of most guilds and weren't allowed to be part of the military or work in government or work in publishing and were blocked from so many ways to earn a living.
Owning land was the key means to building wealth at the time. (Much like today). Rental income, raising herds of animals, farming, etc... were all the most significant ways for families to earn money.
Since Jewish people were prevented from owning land (by Christians and Muslims), and were banned from so many ways to earn a living, they had to turn to other means to support their families.
An obvious opportunity would be lending money, since the Christians and Muslims at the time decided they themselves weren't allowed to do so.
So, et voila, you have an industry that's just ideal for Jewish people.
I've never understood the outrage people have about this. It's like they think the entire Jewish population should have just sat down and given up and just let their families all starve to death. (I'm quite sure at least a few people here would have been absolutely thrilled if that had happened. 😕)
People aren't at all concerned about why banking was one of the very few industries Jewish people had available to them to support their families.
And yeah, people don't like being charged interest rates on borrowing money. So...either live within your means and don't borrow money (this is what I do, personally), or find one of your brothers or sisters in Christ (or Allah) to lend you money without charging interest rates.
Which, unsurprisingly, very rarely ever happened. Guess they just weren't as good Christians or Muslims they should have been. 🤷♀️
So, instead of being angry at themselves (for living above their means and wanting to borrow money) or at their neighbors (for not lending them money with no interest charged) or at their religious leaders (for putting this ridiculous rule on them where they aren't allowed to charge interest rates and which was later repealed anyway🤷♀️🤦♀️), they just turned all that anger on Jewish people who really didn't have many other opportunities to provide for their families, because of the laws the Christians and Muslims were coming up with. 🤷♀️
All that should really make people think through all the unintended consequences that their actions could bring about. It should also make people think twice about who they should really be angry with when they have situations similar to these come up.
And now they've been turned unto the ultimate scapegoat for all things cabal related. I found something fascinating:
https://www.napoleon-series.org/ins/weider/c_jews.html
[...]
The Pursuit Of Factual Detail Is The Religion Of Perfection
One of the many contributions that Napoleon has made to improve the quality of life of the people, and perhaps one of his most important and lasting one, was his Civil Code. He felt a personal responsibility for its realization.
This at a time in history when discrimination was rampant. It was then that Napoleon decided to liberate and offer, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity to Jews, Protestants and Free Masons. He also opened the churches that were closed for years.
Civil Code
Napoleon was the first leader in Europe to grant liberty, equality and fraternity to all religions. In this lithograph of the period, Napoleon is granting liberty to the Jews.
The Civil Code of 1804 was to grant religious freedom to all of them. At that time, there were about 480,000 Calvinists and 200,000 Lutherans living in France.
In 1804, Napoleon arranged for the public regulation of the Protestant communities and then decided that the State would assume the responsibility for the salaries of their pastors.
How Did Napoleon's Involvement With The Jews Come About?
Napoleon Bonaparte had not met any Jews in his youth, and perhaps not even during his school years in France. His first contact with the organized Jewish community probably took place on the 9th of February 1797 in Italy during the Italian campaign.
When Napoleon and his army entered Ancona, the Jewish community was living in a small ghetto. Napoleon, at that time, remarked that certain people were walking around with yellow bonnets and a yellow arm band with the "Star of David" on it. He asked one of his officers, what was the purpose of the yellow bonnet and the arm band. The officer replied that these were Jews who had to be identified in order that they return to the ghetto every evening. Napoleon immediately ordered that the arm bands and the yellow bonnets be removed and replaced them with the tricolor rosette. He closed the ghettos and gave instructions that the Jews could live wherever they wanted and they could practice their religion openly. The Jews of Ancona were overjoyed when they discovered that the first French soldiers who entered the ghetto were Jewish!
Later, Napoleon also closed the "Jewish Ghetto" in Rome. He liberated also the Jews of Venice, Verona and Padua.
The "liberator of Italy" abolished the Laws of the Inquisition, and the Jews felt free at last. (See: Appendix 1)
Why Did Napoleon Do This?
Did He Have A Motive?
And yet, here is another incident of interest. On the 12th of June 1798 when the French occupied Malta, Napoleon learnt that the Templar Knights did not allow the Jews to practice their religion in a synagogue. The Knights enslaved their Jewish prisoners and mercilessly used them or sold them. He immediately gave permission to the Jews to build a synagogue.
Again I Ask - Why Did Napoleon Do This?
What Could Be Napoleon's Motive?
Now here is an amazing incident which is not generally known.
When the French troops were in Palestine, and besieging the city of Acre, Napoleon had already prepared a Proclamation (See: Appendix 2) making Palestine an independent Jewish state.
He felt confident that he could occupy Acre and the following days he would enter Jerusalem and from Jerusalem he would issue his proclamation. He was unable to realize this project because of the intervention of the British.
This proclamation was printed and dated the 20th of April 1799, but his unsuccessful attempt to capture Acre prevented it from being issued. The Jews had to wait more than 150 years before their state was proclaimed.
The proclamation, however did bear fruit. It was a precursor to Zionism, heightening awareness of the cause of Jewish statehood. The ideas Napoleon expressed found the admiration of many who saw Napoleon's gestures as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, which foretells of the restoration of the Jews to their land. The idea drew many adherents, especially in England.
One hundred and eighteen years later, the British would issue the "Balfour" declaration which called for a Jewish homeland and ultimately - 31 years later in 1948 - Israel would be recognized as a sovereign state by popular vote in the United Nations General Assembly. Perhaps it can be said that Napoleon's premature announcement on that first day of Passover in 1799 played an important role in the creation of the state of Israel.
In the Paris Moniteur Universel, on 3 Prairial of the year VII (22 may 1799). It was announced: "Bonaparte has published a proclamation in which he invites all the Jews of Asia and Africa to gather under his flag in order to re-establish the ancient Jerusalem. He has already given arms to a great number, and their battalions threaten Aleppo."
On the 16th of August, 1800, Napoleon declared: "If I governed a nation of Jews, I should reestablish the Temple of Solomon."
Appendix 2
Letter to the Jewish Nation from the French Commander-in-Chief Buonaparte (translated from the Original, 1799)
General Headquarters, Jerusalem 1st Floreal, April 20th, 1799, in the year of 7 of the French Republic
BUONAPARTE, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMIES OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC IN AFRICA AND ASIA, TO THE RIGHTFUL HEIRS OF PALESTINE.
Israelites, unique nation, whom, in thousands of years, lust of conquest and tyranny have been able to be deprived of their ancestral lands, but not of name and national existence!
Attentive and impartial observers of the destinies of nations, even though not endowed with the gifts of seers like Isaiah and Joel, have long since also felt what these, with beautiful and uplifting faith, have foretold when they saw the approaching destruction of their kingdom and fatherland: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35,10)
Arise then, with gladness, ye exiled! A war unexampled In the annals of history, waged in self-defense by a nation whose hereditary lands were regarded by its enemies as plunder to be divided, arbitrarily and at their convenience, by a stroke of the pen of Cabinets, avenges its own shame and the shame of the remotest nations, long forgotten under the yoke of slavery, and also, the almost two-thousand-year-old ignominy put upon you; and, while time and circumstances would seem to be least favourable to a restatement of your claims or even to their expression ,and indeed to be compelling their complet abandonment, it offers to you at this very time, and contrary to all expectations, Israel's patrimony!
The young army with which Providence has sent me hither, let by justice and accompanied by victory, has made Jerusalem my headquarters and will, within a few days, transfer them to Damascus, a proximity which is no longer terrifying to David's city.
Rightful heirs of Palestine!
The great nation which does not trade in men and countries as did those which sold your ancestors unto all people (Joel,4,6) herewith calls on you not indeed to conquer your patrimony; nay, only to take over that which has been conquered and, with that nation's warranty and support, to remain master of it to maintain it against all comers.
Arise! Show that the former overwhelming might of your oppressors has but repressed the courage of the descendants of those heroes who alliance of brothers would have done honour even to Sparta and Rome (Maccabees 12, 15) but that the two thousand years of treatment as slaves have not succeeded in stifling it.
Hasten!, Now is the moment, which may not return for thousands of years, to claim the restoration of civic rights among the population of the universe which had been shamefully withheld from you for thousands of years, your political existence as a nation among the nations, and the unlimited natural right to worship Jehovah in accordance with your faith, publicly and most probably forever (Joel 4,20).
Would modernity have even happened without them? probably not if we are being fair. And the thing about interest is, it's known, it's agreed, it's often fixed. You can borrow $2000 and buy a car, and keep rolling over the loan, or choosing a long payback period, and end up paying $10,000 to the bank. But that is your choice.
Or you can buy a van for $2000, and work hard and payback the loan in a year, and payback $2100 to the bank, and go on to build a business that makes you a millionaire. The bank, the lender, just wants their 5% they do not want 5% of your business, just of that loan. They do not some knocking after you’ve made $10M looking for half a million because without you they would be nothing (a friend who loans for no fee might very well do this)
Usurious conduct is when you lend a widow $1000 because you know she owns a farm with 900 acres she cannot operate. And you tell her, don’t worry about payback, I will add the payments you cannot make to the loan, but the loan is now risky so the rate will have to rise to 20% And then three years later the widow owes you the entire farm. Or you charge 300% interest etc. Regulated banking is nothing like this, but in the middle ages it was.